PJ Harvey: Stories From The City, Stories From
The Sea
Island Records/Universal 314-548-144-2
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 In "This is
Love," Polly Jean Harvey essentially describes the impact of her sixth album:
"You can never get too much of a wonderful thing." From start to finish, this
12-track effort plays to Harvey's strengths, ranging from pure energetic rock to soft
melodies and ballads. Two things remain consistent throughout: the high caliber of the
musicianship and the beautiful simplicity of the lyrics. From the opening bars of the
first track, "Big Exit," you know that you're in for something very special.
Then the intensity picks up and a comfortably mesmerizing soundscape envelops. Sonically
speaking, this recording does not suffer from the all-to-common over-production that so
frequently mars rock and pop recordings these days. Harvey's slashing electric guitar is
up front in the mix, where it belongs, and her vocals are perfectly layered. Stories
From The City, Stories From The Sea is reminiscent of earlier albums, such as Dry
and 4-Track Demos, but this is PJ Harvey's most refined and accessible release to
date.
Jan Garbarek: Visible World
ECM 1585 78118-21585-2
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 Norwegian sax player Jan Garbarek makes music that’s as moody,
otherworldly and haunting as the wintry landscapes of his homeland. With Eberhard Weber on
bass, Manu Katché and Marilyn Mazur on drums and Rainer Brüninghaus on keyboards, the
sound brings to mind images of tribal drums and shamanistic rituals, creating an eerie
background with sinuous bass solos and the sometimes piercing, sometimes dreamy exploits
of the session's leader. Garbarek mines influences ranging from jazz to Eastern modal
music, creating a signature style that mixes ambient atmosphere, Dead Can Dance-grooves
and simple, yet hair-raising, melodies. A reference disc in the best sense of the word.
U2: All That You Can't Leave
Behind
Island Records/Universal 314-524-653-2
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 All That You Can't Leave Behind is the much anticipated
follow-up to 1997's Pop, but the two releases couldn't be more different in terms
of musical style, production and even packaging. This time out, U2 has brought back
producers Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite in an attempt to reclaim their
unmistakably unique sound from years gone by. Do they succeed? Yes and no. All That You
Can't Leave Behind approaches the band's earlier sound, but it has too few standout
tracks -- far too many of the songs sound alike -- and the music seems needlessly complex,
specifically in its over-reliance upon synthesizers. There's an overall lackluster sonic
quality throughout. However, Bono's voice is still an absolute pleasure to hear, any
place, any time, and the few tracks that do indeed stand out are exceptional, specifically
"Beautiful Day," "Peace On Earth" and "Grace." But it takes
more than a few great songs to make a great album.
Aria 2: New Horizon
Astor Place Recordings TCD 4017
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 Distill the riveting
essence of operatic drama; use real massed strings, not synthesizers; underlay them with
hip-hop grooves; pick your favorite soprano and alto arias, but reduce them to the melodic
highlights; forego sampling and hire two classically trained vocalists with stunning
voices; and commit the project to a master producer who has the taste and skill to pull it
off with bravado. Voilà! Forget about renting a tux, battling uptown evening
traffic or tipping the parking valet. Neglect the lengthy excess of most operas and savor
just the juicy parts. Stay at home in your torn jeans, pop a Bud or uncork a bottle of
Cabernet, and find out how truly hip this classical stuff that the Italians are so fond of
is.
Eric Fernandez: Magic Gipsy
Higher Octave World 47705
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 Although Ottmar Liebert and The Gipsy Kings personify this
underground vein, their success with it sent just about every record label scrambling for
its own "nouveau flamenco" artist. Unfortunately, this saturated the genre with
many guitarists lacking in skill and originality what they possessed in marketability.
Enter French virtuoso Eric Fernandez. His flamenco training is authentic and his chops are
on a different plane. In Magic Gipsy, he combines various Mediterranean musical
vernaculars -- French, Spanish, Moroccan, Sardinian -- to create track after track of
stunning diversity. Gorgeous vocals, complex arrangements, modernistic twists -- this is
reference material and a far cry from the typical audiophile schlock that’s all too
often used to show off a good system. Try this instead, but watch your audio-buddies
carefully -- they'll try to make off with it when you’re not paying attention!
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